The quickest way to improve closing skills

Ask a closing question!

Not a week goes by that I am not approached and asked one of the most common questions in sales training. Everybody wants to know, “How can I get better at closing?”

It’s the skill that everybody, every salesperson, and every sales manager wants to know.

To help, I want to give you a really quick exercise. This exercise is the very first step in diagnosing your closing problems. When I say it’s the first step, I mean that closing problems can be the result of many issues with salespeople. It could be that they never solve a customer problem, or they fail to uncover the true value to the customer in the customer’s point of view, or the salesperson might need to improve their presentation skills, or maybe they struggle to customize the solution to the customer’s DISC style and preferences.

However, the first place to start diagnosing the closing skills issue is with a quick exercise.

The first question I ask is, “When was the last time you asked a closing question? To qualify, a closing question is a “Yes-No” style question. If the customer says yes, then they buy from you. I want them to remember the specific date and customer. Was it a week ago? A day ago, a month ago?

The exercise is to write down the closing style question, word for word.

It needs to be very specific. The reason is that many salespeople think they are asking. Many will tell you they ask on every sales call. However, when asked to write down the actual question, their memory gets a bit fuzzy. They think they asked it, but can’t come up with the words. Often, the reason they can’t remember is that they didn’t ask one.

There was never a yes/no closing question. There may have been insinuations or expectations. The salesperson may think the customer must have understood their reason for being there. However, the customer was never actually given the chance to say, “Yes”.

This simple exercise helps me to sort out where to go from there. You don’t have a closing question problem if you never ask one. I can’t help you solve a problem with a step you never take.

Once you solve this issue, see the articles below for more info on closing techniques. After salespeople begin actually asking closing questions, the next most common problem with closing is a poor job of opening.

How do I get better at closing? https://www .gregmartinelli.net/how-do-i-get-better-at-closing/
- Podcast version https://www.gregmartinelli.net/how -do-i-get-better-at-closing-podcast/

The #1 best closing question: https://www.gregmartinelli.net/the-1-best-closing-question/
- Podcast version: https://www.gregmartinelli.net/the-1-best-closing-question-podcast/

Ag Recession Sales Training Program

Program Components:

Customized to your company, selling in your market, to your target customers
Everyone completes an Ag Sales Professionals: Territory Audit to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
Every manager completes an Ag Sales Professional: Sales Team Audit to determine the strengths and weaknesses of their team.
Based on those audits, a goal is established for the team as well as each individual salesperson.
All virtual
One monthly price for your whole team
1-2 meetings per month.
1-2 hours per meeting
Start, stop, or continue as time, seasonality, or finances permit.
Accountability and Facilitation: This is the crucial element for any successful training or coaching program. Managers have to be involved for a training or coaching program to be successful. I will facilitate the sessions and assign the work that needs to be done. However, the accountability element is what ensures the information is implemented when the salesperson is in front of the customer.